Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-02
The Negro in America.

The white race had gained the education,
the culture, the refinement, the wealth, the
power, the influence of a great people the
'thers were the heirs of poverty, of igno-
rance, OF degradation, and of all the disa-
blities incident to two centuries Of bond
sge.-Bishop Wiley.
These words were uttered by this dis
tinguished divine at the dedication of the
Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Ark.
We do not quote them for controversial
| purposes, but as the suggestion of what we
trust will turn out to be profitable re flee
| tions.
Nothing is more common with Northern
| Writer'S and speakers than to assume that
the present degraded condition of the pegro
in America is the effect of slavery. Two
hundred years of bondage had brought him
down to his present intellectual and moral
level! And yet the speaker came very
| near couceding that the negro had been
| elevated in slavery when he asserted in his
| remarks that "the one race had been de
veloped. if we may call it development,
under the narrowing and debasing infuen-
ces of bondage"
Take the condition of the African in
negro land and his condition in America,
even in the davs of slavery, and how did
| they compare? How did they compare
physically? Was not the American negro
more comfortable in his situation, more
| cleanfy in his habits, more bealthful and
fertile than bis African brother or sister !?
Did not the contact of negro-mind with a
higher order of civilization tend to elevate
him in the scale of intellect And though
he lived only in the penam6ra of science,
was there not light and heat enough in his
intellectual atmosphere to quicken bis DOR
mant faculties into unwonted activity?
| What untold and ipcalculable blessings
must have accrued and did accrue to the
negro by intimate contact with Christian
civilization? What floods of light, COM
fort and purity were poured into his dark
soul by The preached gospel and the ex-
ample Of pious masters and mistresses, aud
by neighborhood Influences of the most
| salutary kind?
Slavery had its disadvantages and ac-
knowledged evils but to the debased,
heathenish Authenticated by centuries
of ignorance and superstition-it was an
| elevator. Christianity and civilization had
| so far developed him even in condition of
bondage that Republican statesmen at the
close of the war deemed him not only
worthy of freedom, but of the elective
franchise in all its plenitude. If they were
not mistaken or insincere, two hundred
years of bondage had accomplished much
| in the intellectual social, and moral devel-
opment of the race.
| Would any Northern statesman give the
ballot to hundred thousand Africans arri-
wing now from Stanley Pool and spreading
throughout New England3 If not, then
the slave was bettered by his bondage.
| We hesitate not to say that slavery was
the chosen instrument. in the hands of
Providence in tanning, demonstrating, civili-
zing and cnlightenipg the untutored Afri-
can. No other process would have been so
effectual. Malarial and other influences
have hitherto rendered missionary opera
tions in Africa to degree unsuccessful
The gospel could not we'll go to Africa, and
Africa came to the gospel. The evangel-
ICED African may some day return to Africa
TO spread scriptural holiness over the Dark
Continent. The history of the past seems
to point to the conversion of Africa by
Africans.
African character is peculiarly suscepti-
BILE to gospel influences his emotional and
enthusiastic nature readily takes to the ex-
citing themes and the rousing spiritual in
fiuences of the gospel preached by men who
have felt its power and heartily embraced
its truths. And yet, to be brought under
these sacred influences, it was necessary
that the negro should be carried to Chris
tian lands.
If he had come hitber as freeman to
compete with the white man, he would
have been either exterminated or driven
like the poor Indian into the wilds of the
| West. But self-interest constrained the
white man to tolerate his presence as a
slave, to feed, clothe, doctor, protect him,
and train him to habits of industry and
frugality. Not otherwise could he have
been so completely assimilated to civilized
sentiments and customs.
AS slave, the negro mixed in the best
of society he had to do with the real gen.
tiity and aristocracy of the land ; he i'm
bibed his views and learned his manners
from the most refined and cultivated. The
consequence was, that the negrO's ideas of
civilization are of the most advanced kind.
| He is polite, and has always dressed in the
height of fashion, when he can !; negro
fogy cannot be found in the country, ard if
/ you look in on a negro congregation you
will see collection Of neatly and fashion
ably accoutred men and women. All this
is due, in a measure, to slavery, or rather
to conditions under it. Slavery was the
leverage power that started the negro up
ward but the short end of the lever, pass
ing through a short arc, could raise him
only small distance, and it was necessary
that freedom should take him in this par
tial elevation and push him to higher
heights of intellectual, social, and moral
development.
Slavery, indeed, is only species of gov
ernmcnt So Christ and His apostles re-
garded it, and therefore did not tamper
with it. 1t is only adapted to the most de-
graded to them it is, perhaps, the best
| possible form of government. But in its
very nature it is only provisional and tenn
porary. When slaves sufficiently improve
intellectually and morally, their fetters
naturally fall off. When they have wings
the chrysalis state is dropped.
But it is absurd to suppose that Ameri-
can slavery was purely degrading in its in
fluence, and that it degraded, corrupted,
and besiialized the American negro till he
was worthy to be free and to hold offices of
honor and trust in the American Republic
Slavery is dead; its ear is deaf, and it
cannot hear the curses heaped upon it by
men who personally knew little of it. Its
tongue is silent in the grave, and it cannot
return railing for railing. Northern men
are too often fargetful of the adage that
forbids speaking evil of the dead. But
there are many ex-slave-holders in the
South !; their posterty is numerous, and
lucy dIo justly SeHSltlNo uuutT Id dioG Icptc
sentations of domestic institution that
carried along with grave evils many ameai-
ties, and even now awakens the tenderest
recolections. Ttne history will write the
Christian masters and mistresses of the
South among the benefactors of the race,
and as having left behind.the SAVIOR of the
most exalted and unselfish piety.-Rich.
nsond Christian Advocate, Jan. goth, 1887.
/ ---e
It's SOZODONT the whole world tries.
I 'Tis SOZODONT which purifes
Il The breath and mouth and dirt defies.
'Tis SOZODONT for which we cry,
Sweet SOZODONT for which we sigh,
'Tis only SOZODONT we buy.
The Praise of SOz0d0nt,
like the famous article itself, is in almost
everybody mouth. The people know that
it preserves as we'll as beauties the teeth
Hence it is the standard Tooth Wash oi
the Period.